Location Data Tracking

Location Data Tracking

About Cal PerformancesCal Performances, a part of UC Berkeley, has a mission to present, produce and commission outstanding artists, both renowned and emerging, to serve the University and the broader public through performances, education, and community programs.

CalPerformances studied and engaged an audience with a mobile app developed by Kineviz.

Executive Summary:Cal Performances needed a creative technology partner to help them research “the audience of the future.” They brought in Kineviz to design an app that brought value to event attendees while unobtrusively and anonymously compiling data on their behavior.

The ChallengeCal Performances was awarded a grant by the Wallace Foundation to research “the audience of the future.” They needed a technology partner to collaborate in the creation of an integrated performance and research project. The partner needed:

The data science expertise to process behavioral data

A solution for collecting data in accordance with the school’s privacy policies

The creativity to develop technology in collaboration with a choreographer

The Solution:Choreographer Amy O’Neill conceived of a two-day performance event that simultaneously took place on various stages across campus and addressed themes of community and inclusion. This inspired Kineviz to create an app that would engage the audience with additional content, a map, schedule, and social media links. Using Bluetooth beacons positioned around campus, the app tracked foot traffic, and unlocked content specific to each section of the dance when the user came within range.

CitizenDance Event "Heat Map"

Results:The Citizen Dance app provided UC Berkeley with a wealth of information regarding audience behavior. Findings included the relative popularity of social media apps, when attendees posted the most, and what devices they used. Attendee foot traffic was displayed in a positional tracking visualization Kineviz created. Capable of rendering crowd flow in real time or playback, attendees are rendered as a “heat map” when zoomed out, and as “breathing” geometric creatures when zoomed in.